Oral history interview with Mitchell Cypress

Little ThunderMy name is Julie Pearson-Little Thunder. I'm with the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program at Oklahoma State University, and I'm interviewing Mitchell Cypress for the Chilocco Alumni Association here at Chilocco Indian Agricultural School outside of Newkirk, Oklahoma. Mitchell, you served in the Army, and you left as a Specialist Five. You attended Chilocco here. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. Where were you born, and where did you grow up?

CypressI was born in Miami, Florida. I grew up on a reservation called Big Cypress, Florida. That's where I went to school until ninth grade. Then I transferred to Chilocco and finished in '66.

Little ThunderWhat did your folks do for a living?

CypressWell, my mother was a single parent. She was more or less like a, you would say, a homemaker.

Little ThunderBrothers or sisters?

CypressYes, there were nine of us. There's five of us left, and four of them passed on.

Little ThunderWhere were you in the lineup?

CypressI was the third one, third oldest.

Little ThunderWhat was your exposure to Seminole language and culture growing up, or Miccosukee?

CypressWell, back then we still have our grandparents, so most of the time we would be living with our grandparents. That's where some of the teachings were brought to us, and culture, tradition.

Little ThunderYou mentioned you ended up coming to school at Chilocco fairly 2:00young. Did you have any other family over here?

CypressNo, I didn't know anybody. When I got here, I just wanted to get out of that. We're kind of an isolated area, so by the time you get on the bus, six o'clock in the morning, by the time you get home in the wintertime, it's dark. It's kind of rough. Being here in boarding school, they give you a place to stay and three meals a day. You can play sports or whatever and make friends, so that kind of interested me. I wanted to get out and explore, I guess you would say.

Little ThunderWhat were your first impressions when you arrived?

CypressYou know--.

Little ThunderDid you come by bus?

CypressYes, we came on a bus and took us, I don't know, a day and a half.

Little ThunderThere were some other people from Big Cypress?

CypressYes. There were, like, six or seven of us. Then there was others from 3:00different reservations. Back then they had that Trailways [Bus] that was running, so we chartered it. We had a bus full. Some were going to Sequoyah, and the majority of them came over here.

Little ThunderWhat was one of the hardest adjustments you had to make?

CypressThe hardest one I had to adjust was probably get used to being away from your family, especially your mother, (she was a single parent) but it didn't take too long. I got to know everybody, and a decent place to live, so I kind of blend with the rest of them. (Laughter)

Little ThunderWhat was one of the easiest things to get used to?

CypressEasiest thing is probably a good meal. (Laughter)

Little ThunderYou didn't mind the chow?

CypressNo, no.

Little ThunderDid you write your mom then?

CypressYes, maybe once a month, yeah. I know that she probably--she never went to school and had to get somebody to look at the letter or ask somebody to write a letter. I think I usually get, like, fifteen dollars a month because she was on a monthly check. Back then, it was a lot of money. (Laughter)

Little ThunderWere you able to go home in the summer?

CypressYes. First year, '63 to '64, went home, and '64 and '65, I stayed here for summer and worked a little bit. Helped, some of the work around here, until 5:00around July or maybe first week of August. Went home and come back my senior year.

Little ThunderDid you enlist in the Army?

CypressI was with National Guard here. Then when I got out, graduated, they sent us to summer camp. Then I went home. Then the draft board sent me a draft notice, so then I went on to finish out that two years.

Little ThunderWhat did you, when you were here, what did you kind of focus on in your classes? What was your focus?

CypressWell, that's what I was telling my friend Clarence. I said, "You know, when I think back, I don't remember bringing homework." In fact, the only thing 6:00I remember is running around on campus, (Laughter) but they must have focused. I mostly always liked the history.

Little ThunderOkay.

CypressThat's what I was probably focusing on.

Little ThunderYou played sports here. What did you--

CypressI was too small, like maybe ninety-eight [pounds]. (Laughter) I did play intramural softball or basketball. That's about it. Never got a chance to play the sports here because they have a bigger guys. (Laughter) Soaking wet, I was about ninety-five pounds. I tried, but they were bigger guys--.

Little ThunderSo when you got your draft notification, where were you at the time when you got it?

CypressI was at home in my reservation, Big Cypress.

Little ThunderWhere did you have to report to?

CypressI got on the bus at my hometown, Clewiston, and then traveled to Coral Gables, Florida, by Miami. Then we got processed, and we transferred to South Carolina, I think is what it was.

Little ThunderFort Bragg or--

CypressNo, the other one. Man what was it. It wasn't Fort Bragg, man it slipped my mind. [Fort Jackson]

Little ThunderWe can add it in when we remember.

CypressOkay.

Little ThunderWhat was it like being in boot camp?

CypressWell, boot camp is something that I would say was interesting because it build you up and teach you leadership. Plus it helped me out being in boarding 8:00school because you have to get up and you have to make your bed, clean the floor, trashcan, and everything. I had my teaching in the boarding schools, so when I went to military, it just kicked in. I knew what I have to do. It helped me a lot. That's where mostly the learning is coming from, boarding school. I did all right in boot camp.

Little ThunderHad you ever been to South Carolina before?

CypressNo.

Little ThunderWhen you went off base, what was that like?

CypressOff base where I was stationed?

Little ThunderDuring boot camp. Were you allowed to go off base, maybe?

CypressOh, during boot camp. I went to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Little ThunderOh, okay.

CypressThat's when I was in National Guard.

Little ThunderThat's where you did your boot camp, at Fort Leonard [Wood], Missouri.

CypressYeah. Then AIT [advanced individual training] was Fort McClellan, Alabama.

Little ThunderFort McClellan, Alabama.

CypressYeah, so when I got drafted, I didn't have to go through the boot camp of AIT.

Little ThunderThat's right because you had already done that.

CypressYeah, yeah.

Little ThunderSo once you went to South Carolina, who were some of the instructors you trained under that you remember?

CypressI stayed there about three weeks. I already had my boot camp, so they were waiting for replacement into another post. I stayed there for three weeks then transferred into Fort Dix--

Little ThunderOkay.

Cypress--in New Jersey. I stayed until--I got there in July or June. Then I left for Germany in December.

Little ThunderWhat year was it?

CypressThat was '69.

Little ThunderIn '69. What were your impressions of Germany when you got there?

CypressWell, I had to adapt to weather, but in springtime and summertime, it was the best place to be. Not in wintertime, so I had to get used to it.

Little ThunderThe cold?

CypressYeah. In wintertime I lucked out. I was attached to the 1st [Battalion], 64th Armor, so I was inside the tank the majority of the time. I thought that was a good replacement, that they put me there.

Little ThunderDid you kind of have a background in heavy equipment or mechanics?

CypressNo.

Little ThunderI wonder how they chose you for--.

CypressWhat happened was that they were drafting to go to Southeast Asia, Vietnam. A lot of troops went there. They were short on replacement. Plus, at that year in that summer of, might be '68, when Czechoslovakia got invaded by 11:00Russia overnight--they called all the names out that's going to be going to Germany, Frankfurt, Germany, to be replaced over there on the border. That's where we were shipped out to there.

Little ThunderDid it seem like there was going to be--what were your impressions of the politics? Did it seem like there was going to be trouble and you guys needed to be ready?

CypressYeah, they called it a alert. You had to get ready on time and get in your tanks, and you got to move out of there and where they want you to be placed at in a certain area. We had to practice and more like a training, as well. They teach you being alert. Anytime there was a real one, then you'd be prepared.

Little ThunderWhat were your impressions of Germany when you were able to go off base?

CypressI learned a lot of things, their culture, as well as how they treat the Americans. Some areas they welcome you, and some areas, I guess, close to our military base, Americans already got other people mad already, so you're in there already. You're part of a group.

Little ThunderAs a Native American, did you get a different kind of reception?

CypressWell, we was talking about it awhile ago, one of the guys that had the same treatment. Back then, they said American Indian; they didn't say Native American. Today they do, but back then they said American Indian. They asked me 13:00what nationality I am. I told them American Indian. They said, "No, you're not. You look like a Hawaiian or Filipino." "Well, I'm American Indian. Whatever you want to call me, go ahead." They said, "They don't draft Indians. Indians don't have to go to the military." I said, "This Indian got drafted." (Laughter)

Little ThunderOh, my goodness, what a misinformation! What was the best thing about being in Germany?

CypressWell, as far as being over there, the best thing I thought was, other than training, is sightseeing, seeing the old castles. You know, you never really thought that even existed until you are over there. Then it's just like 14:00you see in the movie. It must have been--I don't know how to build it, but it's huge, yeah.

Little ThunderWhat was the worst thing about being in Germany?

CypressWeather. (Laughter) Other than that, I handled it pretty good.

Little ThunderWhat happened after you came back home?

CypressAfter I came back home, I had to adapt to society, you would say, I guess. It's kind of different, and I kind of thought about going back in there.

Little ThunderBack into the military?

CypressYeah, back in the military, but then some of my friends came over a week later, and I wandered around with them. I lost my interest in going back, so then I just waited.

Little ThunderYou were back in Florida?

CypressYes, I was back in Florida.

Little ThunderWhat kinds of jobs did you take up when you were there?

CypressFirst, I had to see what my future was after I come back from the military. I got adjusted to society. Some of my friends and my relatives who were returning from military got jobs in Seminole tribe. Then I started working with one elderly guy. He operates heavy equipment, so he hired me. After years passed, he become a president of the tribe. I was working with the health 16:00department. Then he wanted me to move up to another program under land development. He put me there, and he coached me on politics, and he took me to Washington. He said, "One day, you're going to come up here, asking for some money for your tribe, so this is what you need to do." Sure enough, I had to do it. I got into politics in 1979 as a local representative, all the way up through '95--

Little ThunderFor the tribe?

Cypress--yeah, with the Seminole tribe of Florida. In '95, I was elected the president and then to a chairman. President for eight years, chairman for eight years, and then I got beat out and laid out four years. I got back in this past May.

Little ThunderOh, congratulations! How did your schooling at Chilocco help you with tribal government?

CypressI must have learned something because some of the things I was taught in school kind of helped me out. Plus, I was working along with some politician on a local reservation where I was at. I try to catch all the tricks, you would say, in politics. As I got elected in '79, I had to really learn how to work with other politicians.

Little ThunderWhen you were at Chilocco, do you remember any instructors that stood out for you?

CypressYes, I remember Mr. [Joe] Nunn. He used to be our agriculture teacher, as 18:00well as our captain in National Guard. He treated us pretty good. I remember some of the teachers, Mr. [Leonard] Hathcoat and Mr. [Lawrence] Henderson, and some others trying to teach us. (Laughter)

Little ThunderHow did your military experience help you being in tribal government?

CypressI've been telling the younger generation that, you know, most of the people are not college material. You go to military, and it's not what they say on the outside. It's what you go in there and find out. They teach you leadership, how to take care of yourself, and they teach you a lot in there. 19:00It's not just shooting a rifle and then they send you up there. I usually let them know that they got different fields that you can qualify. I still let them know they need to take a hard look at military one day because our military strength is not really like it used to be. The politicians are not spending that much money on the things that military needs. It taught me a leadership.

Little ThunderWere there many Indian soldiers in your unit in Germany? How many Native Americans in that? In Germany, were there many Indian soldiers in your group?

CypressThere was one that went to school with us. Matter of fact, he was in the same grade, Calvin Minesquad. I think he was Potawatomi in Kansas. He was 20:00already there when I got there. He went to school for radio operation. Two weeks passed, and he showed up. We got to talking about Chilocco and everything, and everybody in our company said, "How in the heck do y'all know each other?" We explained. "You from Florida and Kansas, and y'all went to school in Oklahoma?" Sometimes you have to go different places to get educated, you know. Then another African American was there--state by, like, two-hour drive, and he was from there. He stayed in for about six months. I didn't know he re-upped for 21:00another three years. A year ago, maybe two years ago, I tracked him down, and sure enough he was there. We communicate. We talk to each other every now and then.

Little ThunderNeat!

CypressYeah.

Little ThunderKept in touch.

CypressYes.

Little ThunderWhat's it like coming back to Chilocco? How many reunions have you made?

CypressI try to make, I don't know, maybe six or seven, but last year I didn't make it. We had to be inaugurated in our positions, so I missed it last year. Another year, maybe four years ago, three years ago, I didn't make it, but this year I had to make it.

Little ThunderAre you affiliated with any veterans groups down there?

CypressIn Florida we have Seminole Veterans. We have a building that we funded, and it's shaped like a star. I think that's the only veteran building in the country that I know of that they built a star. One section that they gave us, veterans; the rest of them is, like, meeting rooms. You can find it on www.seminoleveterans.com I think. You can look into it.

Little ThunderSo you've got your veterans museum there, the Seminole tribe?

CypressYeah.

Little ThunderThat's neat. That's neat. Why are the Chilocco reunions important 23:00to you?

CypressWell, you, more or less, see who is still around. You never know, the year that you come to reunion, who's going to be here, who's not going to be here, so it means a lot to me. When you get, I guess, going to Chilocco, two or three years, or four years, you become a family. You always wonder what happened to this person. When you come here, they tell you where they at or whether they're here or not. Also, it's good to exchange who's back home and didn't make it and all that.

Little ThunderRight. It seems like mainstream society is trying to follow the 24:00Native community now in terms of honoring their veterans more. Do you think that's succeeding?

CypressSeminole tribe pushed the fourth statue, the one they have in the mall. We were pushing that. They kind of supported us, but from what I understand, they passed a bill that they cannot put another statue. It's three statues of soldiers, but where they put us, (there's nothing wrong with it) they put us in the spine part. It should be four--

Little ThunderI see.

Cypress--Caucasian, Hispanic, African American, and Native American, but somebody forgot to put the fourth one. That's why we been pushing them. I 25:00understand the Native American museum, they going to put a statue over there. They're going to let us put it over there, but we got to find the funding for it. I think we're on the right trail. I don't know how long it'll take, but we're working on it.

Little ThunderRight. What would you like people to know or remember about Chilocco?

CypressWell, I would say that the people that has been here, that went to school or graduated from here, would understand what we are talking about because this becomes home. The person that's never been into Chilocco would have a tough time to understand what we're talking about. Some people think it's like a reform 26:00school or something. Maybe it was, I don't know, but I thought that this was just a regular school that you got to learn, then also learn how to take care of yourself, as well, and live on your own. You can't be living in your parents' house. Sometime you got to fly off the nest. I think that's the best way to put it, I would say, yes.

Little ThunderIs there anything else we should talk about that we haven't covered?

CypressFor me, I learned a lot, that there's more than five civilized tribes. Back in Florida, I thought there was only five civilized tribes. When I got here, man, there was more than five, (Laughter) close to five hundred, so I got to make a lot of friends here. I'm very glad that I went to school here.

Little ThunderYou got a real intertribal education!

CypressYes, it was, yeah.

Little ThunderWell, thank you very much for talking with us today.

CypressThank you for interviewing me. I'm glad that I'm part of your interview that maybe one day somebody out there will understand what the veterans stand for and what we will fight for, and the Native American, or first American, you would say, not [first] American but the people that was in this country. (Laughter)

Little ThunderRight.

CypressYeah, so happy to be interviewed.

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